Content centric networking systems and methods

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for Content-Centric Networking (CCN) are described. In some cases, a node may receive a CCN packet from an upstream node and communicate the CCN packet to one or more downstream nodes (e.g., that previously requested the CCN packet). In a first case, the node may establish a persistent internet protocol (IP) tunnel with the downstream node and communicate the CCN packet to the downstream node by the persistent IP tunnel. Here, a cable modem between the node and the downstream node may not decode the CCN packet. In a second case, the node may append an identifier to the CCN packet prior to communicating the CCN packet to the one or more downstream nodes. Here, the identifier may indicate to the downstream nodes which CCN packets are relevant to the downstream node.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a node, a content-centric network (CCN) packet from an upstream node; 
 identifying a subset of one or more downstream nodes associated with the CCN packet; 
 appending an identifier to the CCN packet, wherein the identifier is associated with at least the subset of one or more downstream nodes; 
 forwarding the CCN packet with the appended identifier to the one or more downstream nodes; and 
 transmitting an indication to each of the one or more downstream nodes indicating one or more identifiers associated with each of the one or more downstream nodes, wherein the transmitting the indication occurs prior to receiving the CCN packet. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the appended identifier is associated with a group of downstream nodes of a same orthogonal division multiplexing (ODM) scheme, the group of downstream nodes comprising at least the subset of one or more downstream nodes. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the ODM is orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), orthogonal polarization division multiplexing, orthogonal time division multiplexing, or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). 
     
     
       4. A method at a modem termination system (MTS), comprising:
 receiving, from a downstream node, an interest message comprising a content identifier indicating a content-centric network (CCN) packet; 
 generating a hash value based at least in part on the content identifier; 
 forwarding the interest message comprising the content identifier to an upstream node; 
 receiving the CCN packet from the upstream node based at least in part on forwarding the interest message; 
 appending the hash value to the CCN packet; and 
 forwarding the CCN packet with the appended hash value to the downstream node. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the MTS is a cable modem termination system.